Google is becoming US K-12 schools' operating system

[Commentary] Step into any US public school and chances are Google is everywhere. Students have their own Google accounts. They work on math problems on Google-branded Chromebooks, file their homework in Google Drive and keep up with their classes through Google Groups. In just a few short years, the company has become the operating system of US K-12 education. That doesn't sit well with everyone.

Competitors such as Microsoft and Apple are far from ready to cede the educational market. Privacy rights advocates have raised concerns that Google hasn't kept its promises when it comes to tracking student information. True, Google isn't charging school districts, but they are paying with their children's privacy, they say. And many adults -- parents, teachers, administrators -- are skeptical of the increasing focus on using technology of any stripe in classrooms. I think the skeptics have a point, but it's been fascinating to see the ways my children, 10 and 13, are increasingly using Google apps and other software in class and for homework.